Never Again
by jailynn-gleek
Summary: Everyone thought he was stupid and dopey but Finn Hudson was observant.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This story is titled for the song Never Again by Nickelback. Please leave honest reviews!_

**Title: **Never Again  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Angst/Romance/Drama  
><strong>Ship: <strong>Santana/Puck; Santana/Finn  
><strong>Rating: <strong>M  
><strong>Word Count: <strong>3,424  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Everyone thought he was stupid and dopey but Finn Hudson was observant.

**Chapter 1**

It was a Monday the first time he noticed something wasn't right. Everyone thought he was stupid and dopey but Finn Hudson was observant. Usually when Santana Lopez walked into the choir room her head was held high and she carried herself with confidence. But today was different. Her shoulders were slumped forward and her ever-present smirk had been replaced with a frown. Instead of sitting in her usual seat next to Brittany, she took a seat away from the rest of the group. Everyone else dismissed it thinking she was just being bitchy, but Finn knew better. She barely spoke up during rehearsal even when Rachel began demanding a solo for their next assembly. He caught up with her afterwards, telling Rachel he left a book in his locker. He reached out and gently grabbed her arm to slow her down.

"Santana?"

She jumped and twirled around, pulling her arm from his grip. She must have sensed that he was trying to read the look on her face because her expression suddenly hardened.

"Can I help you with something, Finnocence?"  
>"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, ignoring the ridiculous nickname. "You didn't seem like yourself today at rehearsal."<p>

For a moment, the Latina let her guard down. She was obviously surprised someone cared about her feelings. Finn could also see something else there: pain. Before he could process it, her walls were back up.

"I'm fine, just tired. Being head Cheerio is hard work," she slapped on her signature smirk. "Besides, if I spoke up your little girlfriend probably would have started crying."  
>"Oh," Finn smiled politely, knowing she was right about Rachel. "Well, if you ever want to talk, you know my number."<p>

Before either of them could say anything more, Puck rounded the corner. The two football players still weren't talking to one another since 'Babygate.' In fact, their friendship had grown more distant. Finn muttered a goodbye before turning on his heels and making his way to the parking lot, immediately apologizing to Rachel for taking too long.

* * *

><p>"What did Hudson want?"<p>

Santana turned around and found herself face to face with her boyfriend. She shrugged.

"He had a question about the Spanish homework," she kissed him softly. "Why'd you miss rehearsal?"  
>"Beiste made me come run laps because I pushed Azimio into the lockers," he rolled his eyes. "That fucker keeps trying me."<br>"Just ignore him. He's not worth it if he keeps getting you in trouble."

Puck simply shrugged and grabbed her hand, leading her out to the parking lot. She spotted Finn and Rachel getting into Finn's car. She smiled at him. Puck's grip tightened on her hand and she knew he'd seen.

"I don't want you to talk to him. He's probably trying to find a way to get to you so he can get back at me for sleeping with Quinn."  
>"I highly doubt that. He's over her; he's with the hobbit now."<br>"What did I tell you about calling her that?"

Santana muttered an apology as they climbed into his truck. It bothered her how protective he was of Rachel. As far as she was concerned, that little brat kept messing with her life. The ride to her house was fairly silent, only the soft sound of the radio coursed through the car. They pulled into her empty driveway. Her house was constantly empty lately. Her dad was working long hours at the hospital and her mother – well, she didn't know what she was doing.

Before she was even out of the car, Puck used his spare key to let himself into her house. She hated the fact that her parents liked him enough to trust him with a spare key so he could watch their house when they went on vacation. They had known Puck his whole life and refused to believe anything bad about him. As a result, he was able to come and go as he pleased. Sometimes Santana just wanted her privacy.

"Are you going to stay for dinner?"

They were up in her room. She dropped her books on her desk and turned to face him. He was standing inches from her with a smirk on his face. He shook his head.

"I've got to babysit Sarah. But you know what I want, Lopez."

Puck grabbed her hips and pulled her close, kissing her hard. She wrapped her arms around his neck. When his hands travelled up her sides, she sucked in her breath and winced. He pulled back and took off her Cheerio top. There was a large bruise on her side. He gently touched it, watching her stomach clench as she tried to fight the pain.

"My bad," he muttered and led her to the bed.

He was gone almost as soon as it was over with a warning that he may or may not be back that night. She knew he was probably going to some girl's house, not home to babysit his sister. Once he was gone, she took a shower and stood in front of her full-length mirror. She teared up as her fingers brushed over the purple bruise. Coach Sylvester had bought her "massive cramps" excuse and allowed her to sit out practice that morning, but it came with a lecture. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up.

She got dressed and went into the kitchen, grabbing a yogurt. This had been her dinner all week. She finished her homework quickly and decided to call it an early night. Just as she closed her eyes her phone buzzed. She grabbed it, surprised to see Finn's name on the screen.

**Hey San, it's Finn. I just wanted to make sure you had my number in case you needed it!**

Santana smiled a little as she hit reply. Maybe she wouldn't have to pretend much longer.

**Thanks :)**

* * *

><p>It had been a week since Finn talked to Santana after glee rehearsal and she still hadn't talked to him. But now he needed to talk to her. He caught up with her at her locker between classes. He stared at her until she noticed him.<p>

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer," she said without looking at him. She sighed and shut her locker, turning to him. "What do you want, Frankenteen?"  
>"You quit the Cheerios?"<p>

Santana groaned and started walking down the hallway, hugging her books to her chest. Finn followed closely behind.

"Things spread fast around here."  
>"So it's true?" She nodded. "Why? You were finally head cheerleader."<br>"I just don't have the time for all of Sue's ridiculous practices."  
>"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "What, did Puckerman knock you up or something?"<p>

Finn's eyes grew wide as her hand collided with his cheek. People at their lockers immediately turned their attention to the pair in the hallway.

"I am _not_ Quinn," she hissed. "So much for being there for me to talk to."

She turned on her heels and walked quickly down the hallway. Finn stared after her, confused, for a few seconds before running after her.

"Santana," he gently grabbed her arm. "I was just kidding. Jeez, what's going on?"  
>"Nothing," she pulled her arm from his grip. "I've got to get to class."<p>

Finn didn't stop her as she walked away. He was used to being confused but this just didn't make sense. All Santana cared about was being head cheerleader and ruling the school. Now she was just giving it up? He was going to find out what was going on with her. He tried to make sense of the situation throughout his next few classes but it didn't help. He skipped his last class and made his way to the locker room, but he stopped when he heard voices.

"What's this I hear about you quitting the Cheerios?"  
>"I tried calling you last night, Puck. It's not my fault you were too busy sleeping with some skank to listen to your girlfriend's problems." There was venom in Santana's words.<br>"You know, I liked you better when you were just a piece of ass, Lopez. As soon as you wanted to make this official, you started talking about your feelings. I'm not into that shit."

Finn took this as his cue to step in. He made a show of bumping into one of the benches so they would notice him. Puck turned around, fists clenched ready to attack. Finn held up his hands.

"Whoa, dude. It's just me." He tried not to notice Santana wiping at her eyes as she hurried out of the locker room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just didn't feel like going to geography."

Puck grumbled something and stormed out of the locker room, probably to find Santana. Finn shook his head. He had no clue what was going on with Puck. Sure, they hadn't talked in months but he was a completely different person than the one Finn grew up with. He couldn't believe he had spoken to Santana that way. Now he was even more determined to find out what was happening.

Santana made sure there was no one in the hallway before she allowed herself to start crying. This wasn't the first time Puck had talked to her like that but it was the first time someone had heard him. Finn was probably going to tell Rachel what he heard and she would tell the rest of the glee club. They'll all say that she deserved it. They would be right. This was her payback for being such a bitch to all of them. She could hear Puck calling after her. She walked outside just as he caught up with her.

"Where the hell are you going?"  
>"Home," she said simply.<br>"No, you have to talk to Sue about getting back on the Cheerios."

She spun around to face him.

"First of all, Sue isn't going to let me back on the Cheerios. Once someone quits, they're off for life. Second, I don't _want_ to be a Cheerio anymore. I just – I can't."  
>"Why?"<br>"You know why."

She promptly turned around and started walking.

"Oh come on, Lopez. Your car isn't here. How are you going to get home?"  
>"Have you ever heard of walking?"<br>"What about your books?"  
>"Puckerman, shut up!" She twirled around. "Just leave me alone, okay? I just want to go home."<p>

Puck stared at her. He clenched his teeth.

"I'll see you tonight."

He grabbed her face and kissed her hard before walking away. Santana rolled her eyes. She didn't really think about walking until he mentioned her car wasn't in the parking lot. It was about a forty-five minute walk from the school to her house. She dug her iPod out of her purse and shoved the buds into her ears. Turning up the music as high as she could without hurting her ears, she got lost in her thoughts.

_(Flashback)_

_They had only been officially dating for two weeks so far. It was weird for both of them. Santana never thought Puck would be relationship material, Puck thought the same of her. But here they were, walking hand-in-hand down the halls of McKinley. Girls at their lockers were staring enviously at Santana and she was loving every minute of it. The smirk displayed on her face was proof that she was finally where she wanted to be: head cheerleader and the girlfriend of a hot football player. High school was finally back to going how she wanted it to. _

_When they got to class he started texting someone. Every time she leaned over to see who he was talking to, he would tilt the phone away from her. Frustrated, she waited until Mr. Schuester had his back to them before she grabbed the phone away from him. Her eyebrows rose the second she saw the name on the screen._

"_Emily? Really?" _

_He tried to grab the phone from her but she held it away. She read through the texts – well, sexts – and shook her head._

"_Are you serious?" Her hushed tone didn't hide her anger. "You're sexting that bottom of the pyramid slut?"  
><em>"_Mind your business, Lopez," he whispered as he pried the phone from her hands. "I can sext whoever I want."  
><em>"_Not while you're with me, Puckerman."_

_He scoffed and pushed his phone into his pocket, obviously not taking her seriously. _I'll show him_, she thought. They went their separate ways for the last class of the day. After it was over, she sought out one of the guys on the football team. Shawn, Shane, something like that. She leaned against his locker and turned on the charm, flipping her hair and making sex jokes. Puck rounded the corner at exactly the right moment. She pulled the football player down and let her lips brush over his ear, whispering something about hooking up with him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body against his. Puck grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the guy, turning around to push him roughly into the lockers. He dragged her out of the school trying to ignore all the looks they were getting. _

"_Puck, let go of me." _

_He ignored her attempts to pull her arm from his grip and pushed her into his truck. She folded her arms over her chest. If he wasn't going to talk to her, she wasn't going to talk to him. She could be just as stubborn as him. She stared out the window and shook her head. So he could sext some other girl but she couldn't flirt with another guy? She was so sick of guys and their double standards. He pulled up in front of her house and got out, slamming his door. She let herself out of the truck. They went inside and she followed him up to her room. _

"_Are you going to stop pouting and tell me what your problem is?"  
><em>"_What the hell was that?"_

_She was glad her parents weren't home because when Puck yelled, it was loud._

"_I don't know what you're talking about," she turned around and took her hair out of its' ponytail.  
><em>"_Bullshit, Lopez. You were flirting with Shane in the middle of the hallway for everyone to see!"  
><em>"_Oh, please. I was just talking to him. Besides, you were sexting Emily all day!"  
><em>"_You know what? I'm so sick of everyone trying to make a fool out of me."_

_She rolled her eyes and sighed. He was being so dramatic about this whole situation. She was about to open her mouth to say so when he grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her back toward him to stand in front of her._

"_Don't fucking ignore me!"  
><em>"_Ow!" She pushed at his chest. "Puck, let go of me."  
><em>"_You think you're hot shit? You're not." He pulled at her hair.  
><em>"_Fuck you, I _am_ hot shit. Let go of my hair, Noah."_

_He pushed her hard, sending her flying back into her dresser. She fell to the floor and stared up at him. Sure, she had seen him angry before, but never like this. His hands were clenched into fists and he was speaking through clenched teeth. _

"_You're not going to pull that shit again, got it?"_

_She was tempted to say some smartass remark about how she would do whatever she wanted. But there was something in the tone of his voice and the look in his eye that made her think twice. She nodded._

"_Fine."  
><em>"_That's what I thought," he yanked her up on her feet and kissed her forehead, ignoring the way she flinched. "I'll pick you up for school tomorrow morning."_

_Without saying anything else, Puck walked downstairs. She didn't move until she heard his car pulling out of the driveway. She bent down to pick up her makeup and perfume that fell when she collided with the dresser. A sharp pain coursed through the right side of her body. She walked over to the mirror and lifted her shirt immediately seeing the bright red mark spreading from right under her arm to her hip. It would surely turn into a bruise by morning. _

_(End Flashback)_

It had been four months since that day and things had just gotten worse. Santana wiped her eyes when she realized she was crying. She never thought she would be in this type of relationship but she just couldn't bring herself to break up with him. He was the only guy who actually wanted her. Every other guy in school didn't believe she was girlfriend material. Even if they did, they wouldn't want to date the school slut. Besides, Puck wasn't _always_ in a bad mood. He had his moments when he would take her to the movies or out on a date to Breadstix, but then she would say something to piss him off and he would change. She reached her house and went inside.

"Mom? Dad?"

She tossed her purse on the kitchen counter. No response. There was a piece of paper on the fridge. She took it off, reading the note her mother left her about going to a business dinner with her father. Shocker. She threw the paper away and went upstairs. She was about to get in the shower when her phone went off. She picked it up without looking at it.

"Hello?"  
>"Hey, it's Finn."<br>"Oh," she sat at her desk. "What's up?"  
>"Nothing. I, um, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. I heard what Puck said to you in the locker room. It was pretty messed up."<br>"I'm fine, Finn. He was just pissed off about something. He didn't mean it."  
>"Mhmm," he muttered.<br>"Is that it?"  
>"No. I-I was wondering if you wanted to hang out tomorrow after school."<br>"What about Rachel?"  
>"She's got some thing with her dads. I don't know."<br>"Sure, why not," she looked up to see Puck walking through her door. "I've got to go. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

She hung up without waiting for him to say anything. Puck had his arms crossed over his chest.

"What-"  
>"Who was that?"<br>"It was Finn."  
>"What did he want?"<br>"I don't know," she shrugged. "Something about the Spanish homework."  
>"He's been needing a lot of help with Spanish."<br>"Have you met Finn?" She laughed lightly. "He needs a lot of help with life."

She kicked her sneakers off and started to strip down. He grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him.

"I don't want you to talk to him."  
>"That's kind of hard to do, Puck. We're in like, four of the same classes and glee club."<br>"Well find a way."  
>"Oh come on, he's not my type," she pulled away from him.<br>"_Guy_ is your type."

Santana took her shirt off and looked in the mirror. She shook her head. Just under her breasts was a large bruise. She could see him standing behind her, staring at the reflection of the mark. It was almost as if he was admiring it. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're going to stop talking to him, right?"  
>"Puck, just calm down. I don't want him."<p>

Instead of answering her, he tightened his arms around her. His hands pressed into the bruise. She gasped as the pain seared through her. Her knees buckled and she almost fell to the floor. She bit her lip, trying to ignore it. She wasn't going to give in this time. It wasn't that she wanted to hang out with Finn, she just wanted the right to _want_ to hang out with him. But Puck wasn't giving up. His grip got tighter. She was biting down on her lip so hard she could taste blood. The tears rushed to her eyes.

"Fine! Fine," she sighed. He released her and she held onto the chair next to her to keep from falling.  
>"See, was that so hard?" She didn't say anything. "I've got to go."<p>

He walked around and kissed her softly. Instead of taking a shower like she planned, she crawled into bed. She pulled the covers over her head trying to block out everything. Her phone started going off. She started crying and grabbed her phone, throwing it at the wall. She didn't even care that it shattered. For what seemed like the hundredth night in a row, she cried herself to sleep wishing it would just end.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Sorry this update took so long! I've been hit with massive writer's block. I hope you all enjoy it. Don't forget to leave reviews :)_

**Title: **Never Again  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Angst/Romance/Drama  
><strong>Ship: <strong>Santana/Puck; Santana/Finn  
><strong>Rating: <strong>M  
><strong>Word Count: <strong>2, 682  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Everyone thought he was stupid and dopey but Finn Hudson was observant.

**Chapter 2**

Santana skipped school the next day. She was sure Puck or Brittany were trying to call her but there was nothing she could do. When her father found her shattered phone on the floor, he yelled and cursed and refused to buy her a new one. She knew he would give in, it would just take a day or two. She stayed in bed all day, not wanting to deal with anyone. When the doorbell rang, she looked at her clock. It read 4:00. _'Puck probably forgot his key'_, she thought. She got out of bed not caring that she was still in her pajamas. Just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a knock.

"Hang on, I'm coming!"

She muttered under her breath and opened the door. She looked up to see Finn standing there. She frowned.

"What are you doing here?" She managed to spit out.  
>"You missed school. Are you okay?"<br>"I'm fine. It's called skipping, Finn. You should try it sometime. Now goodbye."

She tried to close the door but he was standing in the way. She sighed and tried not to note the hurt look on his face.

"I thought we were hanging out today?" he asked simply.  
>"Oh, right. I, um, I don't think that's a good idea."<br>"Why not? You agreed yesterday."

She couldn't tell him the real reason she couldn't hang out with him. That Puck would hit her so hard she wouldn't even be able to remember. She stood there, trying to think of an excuse. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he said the magic words.

"I figured we could go to Breadstix."

Santana rolled her eyes at the dorky grin on his face. She pulled him inside and closed the door.

"Wait here. I'll go get ready."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and made her way upstairs. She took a quick shower and changed into a simple outfit of jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. She did her makeup, making sure to cover up the faded bruise on her cheek. When she got downstairs, she saw him sitting on the couch. He spotted her and got up quickly.

"You look great."  
>"Save the compliments. This isn't a date, pretty boy. I'm not sure your girlfriend would like that."<p>

She almost felt like her old self as a smirk formed on her lips. The feeling disappeared when she bumped against the car door, the pain in her side reminding her of Puck and his warning. As Finn closed her door and made his way to the driver's seat, she hoped Breadstix wouldn't be busy and no one would see her there with him. He turned the car on and she turned up the radio. She didn't want him to try to start small talk. She listened to him sing along to the music and stared out the window.

Worry coursed through her as she thought of the possibility of Puck finding out. Not only was she breaking her promise by talking to Finn but she was practically going out on a date with him. Santana knew she should tell him to just take her back home but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She just wanted to know what it was like to go out with a guy who wasn't expecting sex and who wouldn't hit her for saying the wrong thing and "embarrassing" him. They were at the restaurant before she knew it. After opening her door, Finn led her inside and the hostess brought them to a table in the back. Santana was grateful for that. They sat down and gave the waiter their drink orders. She could feel Finn staring at her over his menu.

"I'm used to guys staring at me but this is just getting creepy. If you have something to say, just say it."

She looked up and smiled a small smile when she noticed the blush in his cheeks. He shook his head, looking down at his menu. It was quiet until the waiter came with their drinks. He took their orders and menus. After a few minutes of silence, Finn let out a sigh.

"What's going on with you and Puckerman?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"I don't know," he shrugged. "You don't really seem happy with him."  
>"You don't seem happy with man-hands but you don't see me bringing it up," she snapped.<br>"No need for name-calling," he pouted. "I was just making an observation."  
>"Well, you're wrong. I'm very happy with Puck."<br>"What about that stuff he said to you in the locker room?"  
>"He had a long day."<br>"That wasn't the first time I've heard him talk to you like that," he said softly.

Santana's head snapped up. Just then, the waiter came with their food. She pushed her food around with her fork. Puck was usually so careful about not talking to her like that if there was a possibility of someone hearing. Or maybe that's just what he wanted her to think. Maybe he was trying to embarrass her. Finn must have noticed she hadn't started eating yet.

"Are you okay?"  
>"What else did you hear?"<br>"I only caught the end of a phone call," he shrugged. "He said something like, 'if you weren't such a…'"

He let his voice trail off. Santana tightened her grip on her fork. Finn's cheeks had gotten red and she could tell he didn't really want to say what he heard.

"If I weren't such a what?"  
>"He said 'if you weren't such a whore, I wouldn't have had to do it'. Or something like that."<p>

He had mumbled the last part. Although she'd heard it many times from Puck, it stung more when someone else said it. She simply shrugged and started to eat her dinner. They had fallen into an awkward silence that she didn't care to fill at the moment. Every once in a while, she could see Finn glance at her sadly. She didn't need anyone's pity.

"What's going on here?"

Santana's eyes rolled instinctively at the sound of the voice behind her.

* * *

><p>Finn tried not to notice how upset his comment made Santana. She was trying hard to show him that she didn't care, but he could tell that wasn't the truth. There was something going on and he was going to find out what. Before he could ask her anything, a voice reached his ears. He looked up.<p>

"Rachel? What are you doing here?"  
>"I'm here with my fathers, Finn. The real question is what are <em>you<em> doing here? With her?"

Rachel shot a glare in Santana's direction. Finn was thankful that Santana was choosing to keep her mouth shut but it still worried him. That just wasn't like her. He sighed.

"I'm just eating dinner with a friend. You don't have to be mean."  
>"Oh I don't? Finn, you are so preoccupied with Santana lately. How am I supposed to believe that there is nothing going on here?"<br>"Because you should be able to trust me," he replied, hurt.  
>"I trust you but I definitely do not trust her." She turned to face Santana. "Does Noah know you're here?"<p>

Finn watched as Santana's face froze. He was confused for a moment, trying to decide if the look on her face was one of anger or panic. He didn't have much time to think about it before she turned her attention to Rachel.

"I don't see how that's any of your business."  
>"You're here with my boyfriend and Noah is one of my best friends. This is most definitely my business."<br>"Puck doesn't need to know I'm here. It's not like there's anything going on."  
>"We'll see if he thinks he had the right to know."<p>

Rachel spun around on her heels and stormed off to her dads, pulling out her phone. He noticed Santana grabbing her purse.

"I have to go."  
>"Santana, wait," he frowned and gently grabbed her arm noticing her flinch. "Why are you leaving? You barely touched your dinner."<br>"If Puck fids out I'm here, he's going to be furious. I don't want to deal with that."  
>"Well even if Rachel does tell him, what's the difference if you leave now or in an hour?"<p>

He could tell that she was thinking about it. He gestured to the seat waiting for her to sit back down. When she did, he smiled a dimpled grin. Since she seemed a bit tense, he tried telling her jokes to make her laugh. When she started to open up, he began to feel better.

"Okay, so I'm going to tell you something no one else knows. Do you remember Stacy Miller from middle school?" He smiled as she nodded. "Well, when we were 13, we were bored one day and decided to watch a movie. Naturally, we started making out. I tried to be smooth and like, kiss and nibble on her ear. Her earring hooked into my lip and I couldn't break free. I had to call my mom for help to separate us."

Finn smiled wide when Santana started laughing halfway through the story. He laughed along with her. He put on a mock hurt face as she continued laughing.

"I'm glad you find humor in my pain."

He smiled to let her know he was kidding. She reached out and set her hand on his forearm as she tried to stop laughing. He glanced down at her hand before looking back up at her. He noticed tears in her eyes from laughing. Shaking his head, he reached across the table and wiped a tear from her cheek as it fell. When he pulled his hand back, he noticed the makeup on his finger and he looked back up at her. His smile fell a little when he noticed a bruise on her cheek. Santana was still laughing a little, trying to control herself, so she didn't notice that he saw the mark on her cheek.

They were having such a good time and he didn't want to ruin it so he didn't mention what he saw. Instead, he set his hand comfortingly over hers on the table. Santana glanced down at their hands but she didn't say anything. Finn was surprised that she didn't pull away. When the waiter came with their check, he shook his head as she reached for her purse.

"Absolutely not. A girl doesn't pay when she goes out with me."

He chuckled when she rolled her eyes. She muttered something about it not being a date but Finn simply smiled and stood up, extending his hand for her to take. She looked as though she was thinking about it but she got up and made her way to the door. He rushed forward, opening it for her. They got to his car quickly. When they got in, he noticed her fidgeting in her seat.

"You okay?"

Her head snapped in his direction. As usual, before he was able to read her expression, it changed. She shook her head.

"Just thinking about what I'm going to do in an empty house again."  
>"I can stay with you if you want."<br>"No thanks,"" she scoffed. "I'm sure the dwarf already informed Puck about our dinner. You being at my house would not be good."

He glanced over at her hoping to see her usual smirk. Instead his eyes were met with sadness. Santana was looking down at her lap. Before she could look up and catch him watching her, he averted his gaze back to the road. He kept quiet for a few moments before sighing.

"What happened to your face?"  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"The bruise on your cheek. What happened?"

From the corner of his eye he saw her hand flutter up to her cheek. She pulled down the visor to look in the mirror.

"I fell," she snapped.  
>"When?"<br>"Yesterday."  
>"How?"<br>"Are you writing a book or something? Keep that chapter out."

She flipped the visor back over up and crossed her arms over her chest, signaling the end of the conversation. Finn knew he had just ruined all of the progress he made that night. They spent the rest of the drive in silence. When they pulled into her driveway, Finn looked around. Upon seeing no signs of Puck or his truck, he sighed in relief.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?"  
>"Positive."<p>

Santana had the door open before the word left her mouth. She slammed the door before he had a chance to respond. Finn waited until she was inside her house to back out of the driveway and head home.

* * *

><p>"Where were you?"<p>

Santana twirled around, dropping her keys. Her eyes searched the dark for the source of the voice. Finally, a figure stepped from the shadows. She let out the breath she had been holding.

"Damnit, Puckerman. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

She turned on the light as she bent down to pick up her keys. She hung them up by the door and walked into the kitchen.

"I asked you a question," he said, following her.  
>"I was at Breadstix."<br>"With Finn?"

Santana froze for a moment, then resumed pouring her water.

"I see you talked to Berry."  
>"Didn't I tell you to stay away from him?"<br>"It was just dinner, Puck. Calm down."  
>"It was a date." He grabbed her arm as she moved. "Don't walk away from me."<p>

Santana heard the edge in his voice and knew better than to get an attitude. His grip got tighter with each passing moment. She squirmed uncomfortably.

"Look, I tried telling him I couldn't see him but he insisted. It-it was nothing. Besides, it's really not fair that I can't talk to Finn but you can talk to Rachel," she said quietly.

She turned her head away. Puck gripped her chin, his thumb pressing hard against her skin, and forced her to look back at him.

"Rachel's my friend. Finn just wants to get in your pants."  
>"Rachel wants to get in <em>your<em> pants."  
>"If she wanted to, I'd let her."<br>"And if Finn wanted to fuck me, I would let him."

She regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. Puck's eyes glazed over and his face began to turn red. When he pulled back, she sighed. But her relief was short-lived as his fist collided with her already bruised cheek. The force from the hit caused her to stumblr. She grabbed onto the counter for support.

"I didn't mean that! Puck, I'm sorry. Please!"

He ignored her attempt to defend herself.

"Finn wouldn't want a whore like you anyway! No one does!"

Puck punched her again, this time knocking her to the ground.

"You think you can make a fool out of me? I'm the only one that wants you. You're damaged goods, Santana!"

His foot connected with her thigh. He got down on his knees next to her. The blood dripping from the side of her lip did nothing to deter him. He set his hand on her cheek, noting the way she shied away from his touch.

"You're mine, Lopez. You always have been and you always will be. That's why you need to stay away from Finn. He's ruining things." He smiled when she nodded. "Good. Now don't disobey me again. I love you. I don't want to have to keep doing this."

Santana stared up at him momentarily forgetting about her throbbing lip. He loved her. Puck had never said those words to anyone – let alone her. She swallowed thickly and smiled as best as she could with a swollen lip.

"I love you, too. I'm sorry."

He kissed her forehead before he stood up and silently walked out. She lied on the floor for a few minutes trying to gather enough strength to stand up. When she finally did, she dragged herself upstairs and collapsed on her bed, falling fast asleep.

She was surprised with flowers delivered to her house the next day.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**__ This chapter has extreme mature content. Please do not read on if you are uncomfortable with heavy, abusive situations. I would say more but I don't want to give away anything important._

**Title: **You Might Think I'm Bulletproof; But I'm Not  
><strong>Genre: <strong>Angst/Romance/Drama  
><strong>Ship: <strong>Santana/Puck; Santana/Finn  
><strong>Rating: <strong>M  
><strong>Word Count: <strong>3,469  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Everyone thought he was stupid and dopey but Finn Hudson was observant.

**Chapter 3**

Santana missed school for a few days until the swelling in her face had gone down. During those days, Puck stayed with her and took care of her. It was times like those that reminded Santana why she loved him. _Love_. She'd never had a guy say he loved her before and she was willing to do anything to keep him. After three days, she was able to go back to school. Due to ignored calls and text messages, Finn kept trying to talk to her. She stayed true to her promise to Puck and ignored him. It worked for a while.

Two weeks after their dinner at Breadstix, Finn cornered her in the choir room.

"Where have you been?"  
>"You'd think you would have gotten the hint after the first twenty missed calls."<br>"Santana, what's going on? Did he yell at you for going out with me?" She tried to ignore the blatant concern in his voice.  
>"First, we didn't 'go out'. We went to dinner. And second, no. Despite your girlfriend's attempt to ruin my relationship, it's stronger than ever. Puck told me he loved me."<p>

Finn looked surprised. He stared blankly at her for a few moments. She didn't care , she was still riding high from being able to say that someone, especially Noah Puckerman, loved her. Finally, Finn regained his composure.

"Congratulations, I guess. And Rachel's not my girlfriend anymore."

Now it was Santana's turn to be shocked. Sure, it wasn't the first time the two had broken up but it seemed like this time the two were stronger than ever.

"Since when?"  
>"Last week," he shrugged. "She started getting too clingy, always wanting to know what I was doing. She was convinced I was cheating on her or something."<br>"Yeah right," she scoffed. "Who would she think you were cheating with? You practically followed her around with big puppy dog eyes."  
>"You."<p>

The word he said so simply made Santana stop in her tracks. Her first instinct was to be pissed that Rachel would think that. Instead, paranoia washed over her. What if she told Puck? She turned around to face him.

"That's ridiculous. She'd better keep that stupid theory to herself."

She moved to grab her books but he stopped her. He stood in front of her, blocking the door. She sighed but before she could say anything, he spoke.

"What is he doing to you?"  
>"Move, Finnocence. I don't know what you're talking about."<br>"You're not yourself anymore. You're so-" he trailed off, trying to think of the right words. "So paranoid and girly."  
>"Seriously? In case you haven't noticed, I <em>am<em> a girl. And I'm not paranoid about anything."  
>"You don't want Puck finding out about us being friends. That's being paranoid."<p>

Santana shook her head at him. Even though she was fearful that Puck would find out about this, she would never let Finn see it. Besides, Puck wasn't the same guy he was two weeks ago. She tried to reach around him to open the door. Finn grabbed her arms to stop her and keep her in place. Instinctively, her body tensed up and her eyes closed, bracing for a hit. When it didn't come, she looked up at Finn, ashamed that she let him see that side of her.

"Let go of me, Hudson. We're not friends."  
>"What is he doing to you?" he repeated.<br>"Nothing."  
>"Santana, please."<p>

She looked up into his eyes. He looked genuinely worried. She contemplated telling him the truth. No one knew what she had been going through with Puck. She swallowed thickly.

"It's nothing, really."  
>"You're not telling me the truth," he said softly. "Is he hitting you?"<p>

Once again, she tensed up but this time for a different reason. She couldn't believe he would ask her something like that. Even though he was right, he didn't know the whole story. She tried to pull away from him but he kept a firm grip on her arms.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Of course he doesn't hit me."  
>"Would you stop protecting him? I saw the bruise on your face at Breadstix. That wasn't from falling. And I saw you a few weeks ago. You couldn't grab something from your locker without looking like you were in pain." She opened her mouth to interject but he continued on. "Look, I was talking to my mom and she said that-"<br>"You talked to your mom about me?"

Santana took a step back shaking her head. If he had opened his mouth to his mother she could only imagine who else he talked to about this. Kurt, maybe? Then Kurt would have told Mercedes who would have told Quinn and Rachel, who would have told- No, her mind wouldn't let her think that Puck could find out people were talking about this. She could see Finn's lips moving but she didn't care.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hudson," she said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "What's going on between me and Puck is none of your business. Keep my name out of your mouth, got it?"

She pushed him away with all of her might sending him stumbling backwards. Grabbing her belongings, she rushed out of the room. She could hear Finn running after her calling her name. Something moved at the end of the hallway but once Santana looked at it, it was gone. Choosing not to dwell on it, she ran out to her car and drove home.

* * *

><p>Finn leaned against the row of lockers, resisting the urge to just bang his head against them. All he was trying to do was help her but he kept making things worse. If she had just listened to him, she would have realized that he only talked to his mother because he <em>needed<em> to. He couldn't keep this all bottled in anymore. Just as soon as he got to the parking lot, he could see her car peeling out of there. It was almost as though she couldn't get away from him fast enough. He walked slowly to his truck and began the ride home.

Before he knew it, he was walking through his front door. "Mom, I'm home!" He dumped his backpack by the door and went into the kitchen. As soon as his mother saw the look on his face, she frowned and wiped her hands on her apron.

"Finn, honey, what's wrong?"  
>"Everything." He plopped in one of the chairs and sighed, putting his head in his hands.<br>"Did you talk to Santana?" She walked over when he nodded. "What happened?"  
>"She didn't even listen to me, Mom. As soon as I said I talked to you she flipped out. Why can't she see that I'm just trying to help her?"<br>"We talked about that. She's in denial and she's not just going to admit that he's hitting her," Carole shook her head. "I still can't believe we're talking about Noah."  
>"Well, we are."<p>

Carole kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back. Finn knew she only half believed him. He had thought that if he could bring Santana over to his house then maybe his mom would realize that he wasn't making it all up in his head. He lifted his head from his hands and looked at her. It was obvious that she was thinking, too. He was about to ask her what about when she spoke.

"Are you sure it was the best idea to break up with Rachel?"  
>"Seriously?" he groaned. "Mom, she was annoying!"<br>"Yes, you've said that. But are you sure that's why you broke up with her?"  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"Well, you _have_ been spending a lot of time thinking and worrying about Santana."

Finn stared blankly up at his mother. How could she think that? He and Santana were just friends – and barely that. The only reason he was worried was because they were in Glee Club together. If Santana got hurt or something, the club would be in trouble. He stood up and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I'll be in my room."

As Carole stood there waiting for a kiss, Finn walked right by her. He went downstairs and laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. When did his life turn into a soap opera? First, his girlfriend cheats on him with his best friend. Then she gets pregnant by said best friend. And now that friend is beating up his new girlfriend. Finn groaned and covered his face with his pillow.

He didn't realize he had drifted to sleep until he felt someone shaking him awake. He could hear someone talking – it sounded like his mother. Instead of waking up, he shrugged her hand away and turned over. Finally her words hit his ears. "_Noah's here_." Finn's eyes shot open and his body tensed up. He rolled back over and looked at her.

"What does he want?"

She shrugged and stood up, muttering something about sending him down, before disappearing upstairs. Finn sat up on the edge of his bed. He hadn't spoken to Puck outside of practice in months. The only thing he could think this was about was Santana but as far as Puck knew, the two of them had not spoken since they were at Breadstix together. His head snapped up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs and he stood up. Soon enough, Puck came into view, standing at the bottom of the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

"'Sup, Hudson."  
>"Puck," he said, his arms crossing over his chest. "What are you doing here?"<br>"I don't know," Puck shrugged. "I figured I'd give my old buddy a visit."  
>"Is that it?"<p>

Puck's amused smirk didn't go unnoticed. Finn shifted uncomfortably as Puck started walking closer to him.

"So what's this about? Payback?"  
>"Huh?" Puck's words had left Finn genuinely confused.<br>"Why are you chasing after my girlfriend?"  
>"What the hell are you talking about?"<br>"I never realized just how stupid you are," Puck scoffed. "Santana. You've been bugging her for months. I saw you in the choir room today. You two looked cozy. What, now that you dumped Rachel you think you can get Santana? Still mad that I knocked up Quinn?"

Finn stood in his place looking at Puck. He couldn't even begin to understand where Puck got those ideas. Of course he was still mad about what happened with Puck and Quinn but he would never bring anyone – especially Santana – into the middle of it. She had nothing to do with it. And more importantly, why did everyone think he wanted Santana? He was trying to be a good friend. Finn took a deep breath before deciding to respond.

"Yes, I'm still mad but I'm not going after Santana. I'm trying to be a good friend. There's something going on between you two that just isn't right."  
>"What is that supposed to mean?"<br>"Well," Finn would be lying if he said he didn't know Puck was getting mad. "She's afraid of you finding out that we're friends. That's not cool. Also, I see bruises and marks on her a lot. Santana's been a cheerleader for years and she's graceful and stuff. Girls that graceful don't fall that much."  
>"What are you trying to say, Finn?"<br>"I'm saying that you hit her."

Even as he said it, Finn wasn't expecting Puck's fist to come flying at his face. But that was exactly what happened. The impact sent him stumbling backwards, the backs of his knees hitting his bed and he fell back onto it. He stared up at Puck.

"What the hell was that for?"  
>"Fuck you, Hudson." Puck's fists were still clenched but Finn jumped up anyway. "Santana's my girlfriend, got it? Mine. Just ask her. I've got that little bitch wrapped around my finger. She's not going anywhere. I can do whatever I fucking want to her and she'll still stay."<p>

It was Finn's turn to throw a punch. He was proud of himself as his fist collided with the side of his ex-best friend's face. His hand stung but he knew if it hurt him, it would really hurt Puck. As the mohawked teen held himself up, Finn pushed him toward the stairs.

"Get the fuck out of my house and stay away from Santana."  
>"We'll see about that," Puck shot back before going upstairs.<p>

Finn waited until he heard the car pull out of the driveway before he went upstairs to the kitchen. He iced his hand and allowed his mother to put a bag of frozen peas on his face.

* * *

><p>Santana was starting to get worried. She hadn't seen Puck since lunch that day and he wasn't answering any of his phone calls. She thought about texting some of the guys on the football team to see if they knew where he was but she realized that in the long run, that wouldn't be a good idea. Instead of dwelling on it, she took a long bath and got ready for bed. If Puck wanted to see her, he would come over like he usually did.<p>

As usual, her parents were out for the night. They didn't tell her when they would be back. Sometimes she wondered if they had a different family out there. She was lying in bed about to fall asleep when she heard the front door swing open. As she was getting out of bed, she heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs. It didn't take long for her to see Puck. Once she did, she smiled wide.

"Hey, baby."

She tried to pull him in for a hug but he grabbed her wrist and dragged her back into her room. Once they were in there, he pushed her roughly onto her bed. Swallowing thickly, she tried to mask her fear.

"Puck?"  
>"Take your clothes off."<p>

Santana stared up at him. She stood up and was about to do what he said when she breathed in.

"Are you drunk?"  
>"I said take your clothes off."<br>"No. I'm not having sex with you when you've been drinking," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "We can just cuddle."  
>"I don't want to fucking cuddle with you." His fingers dug into her arms and pried her away. "Take off your fucking clothes and get in bed. Now."<p>

It was hard for Santana to believe that this was happening. They had been doing so well. She was obviously taking too long as Puck took the thin fabric of her shirt in his hands and ripped it open.

"What are you doing?"  
>"So, what, you can have a quickie in the choir room with Hudson but you won't fuck your boyfriend? After everything I've done for you?"<p>

He threw the tattered shirt to the floor and went to work on taking her bra off, not bothering to be gentle.

"You think I don't know what's going on between you two? That's why he broke up with Rachel. I don't like having my best friend cry because of something _you_ did, Lopez. And you think I don't notice the way he protects you?"

Santana tried her hardest to fight the tears that were threatening to rush forward. She was terrified of Puck right now. It was like he was a completely different person. She tried to swat his hands away but that only made it worse. He started to palm at her breasts, licking his lips. Usually it felt good but this time he was squeezing too tight, pain coursing through her.

"Nothing's going on, Puck. I promise. I wouldn't do that to you. I love you," she set a shaking hand on his cheek. "And you love me."

She could almost feel her heart break at the sound of his cold laugh.

"I never loved you."

If there was any ounce of self-esteem left in Santana it had vanished with those words. She barely registered the fact that his nails were digging into the side of her legs as he roughly yanked down her shorts and underwear. She pushed at his shoulders.

"Don't touch me! You're a piece of shit, Puck. You know that? You're nothing but a Lima loser!"

Relief washed over her when he let go of her shorts and stood up in front of her. It was gone just as soon when she saw the fury in his eyes. Without saying anything, he slowly started to take his own clothes off. She shook her head, unable to say anything. His shirt came off easily and once he started pushing his jeans and boxers down, she turned around. She didn't get very far before she was yanked back by her hair and forced down to her knees.

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Those were the words Santana kept repeating in her head. They came to a stop, however, when Puck stepped forward with his hand wrapped around himself. Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"Open your mouth, Santana. You're good at that."

He pushed forward, pressing the tip of his cock against her lips. She closed her eyes tight refusing to open them even as his fingers tried to pry her jaw open. When his fist collided with her cheek, her mouth fell open on instinct. Before she had a chance to close it, he was sliding into her. Santana groaned and tried to push him away but Puck held onto her head and thrust in a few times. Suddenly unable to breathe, she punched him in the thigh. He released her head and she fell back trying to catch her breath.

"You stupid bitch," Puck growled.

He grabbed her by her arms and picked her up easily before throwing her unceremoniously onto the bed. She looked up at him not even bothering to hide the fear in her eyes.

"I'm s-sorry."

Puck climbed on top of her but that didn't stop her from trying to push him off. She thrashed around, her legs never still long enough for him to pin her down. Her cries and pleas to stop did nothing to hinder him. It was almost as if he couldn't hear her. Suddenly, he got up. She couldn't appreciate it for long before he was tying her wrists to the bedpost with her ripped shirt and his.

"Puck," her voice cracked and she shook her head. "Noah, baby, please don't do this."  
>"You're mine."<br>"No!"

As the single syllable left her mouth, his fist collided with the side of her head. She groaned and dropped her defenses long enough for Puck to pry open her legs. Continuing to struggle against him and fight back, she let out a loud scream as he pushed into her. She wasn't ready for it and it hurt more than it ever had before. He punched her once more.

"Shut the fuck up!"  
>"Stop! Get off of me!"<p>

Puck held one hand over her mouth. His other hand clenched her waist as he thrust in and out of her without abandon. She cried and let her legs fall weakly at his sides. She could feel his nails digging into her waist, breaking through the skin. It took everything she had in her not to bite him but she knew it would just make things worse. Every so often she would move her hips to try to get him off but that only seemed to excite him. The noises coming from him were enough to make her sick.

After what seemed like hours, he came inside of her and pulled out. She closed her legs tightly and continued crying quietly as he got dressed. She sucked in a breath when his face suddenly hovered over hers. Everything in her body tensed and the tears ceased for the moment. She swallowed thickly as Puck reached up and finally released her hands which fell limply above her head.

"If you tell anyone about this, I will fucking kill you."

The smell of the alcohol on his breath caused her stomach to clench. Santana watched as he walked out of her room and kept her eyes on the door until she heard his tired on the driveway. The bile she had worked so hard to keep down finally made its way up and she barely sat up in enough time to throw up over the side of her bed. The tears found their way to her eyes once more as she reached for her phone. Her sobs had become so heavy and loud that she barely heard the voice on the other end calling her name and asking what was wrong.

"Finn," she croaked out before throwing up once more.

_**A/N:**__ Here's where I need your opinion! I have one more chapter planned for this but after that, I need to know if people would like a simple epilogue or if they think there is enough potential for a sequel. Either leave your opinion in the reviews or message me. Either way, your feedback is appreciated! 3_


	4. Author's Note: Please Read

Hey guys!

I want to apologize for the lack of update. Classes started a few weeks ago and it's been really hectic. I'm trying really hard to get the last chapter written for you. Again, I'm so sorry for taking so long with this. I hope you all are still interested!

xoxo, Jai


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